technorama hausprospekt en

Opening Times

exhibiTiOn

Tuesday to sunday

10.00 am to 5.00 pm

Closed Mondays and 25th December.

Open public holidays (including Mondays).

ResTauRanT

self-service restaurant open

9.00 am to 6.00 pm

pRices

Entrance including all presentations and

Youth Laboratory

adulTs CHF 24.– (Euro 17.10 *)

childRen CHF 13.– (Euro 9.30 *)

aged 6 to 15* Prices subjet to change.

Information about reductions, group rates,

Annual Membership see www.technorama.ch.

The entire exhibition is accessible to

wheelchair users.

© S

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swiss science center Technorama

Technoramastrasse 1 CH-8404 WinterthurT +41 (0)52 244 08 44 F +41 (0)52 244 08 45

[email protected] www.technorama.ch

Your Visit

Contents

4 Welcome!

5 Guide to Experimenting

Ground floor

7 Mechanics

9 Magnetism and Electricity

11 The Natural History of a

Lightning Flash

13 Youth Laboratory

15 Workshops

Toy Trains (basement)

First floor

17 Perception

19 MatheMagic

21 Water, Nature, Chaos

Second floor

23 Et Cetera

25 Spatial Imaging

About Faces

Plasma

27 Orbitarium

The Sound of Wood

29 Light and Vision

31 Shows and

Demonstrations

Temporary Exhibitions

33 Park and “Spielhüsli”

35 Restaurant and Picnic

Birthday Parties

37 Your Conferences

and Functions

Technorama Shop

38 How to get to

the Technorama

ground floor

Restaurant self-service

atrium

enTRance

paRk

shop

cloakroom

Ticket desk

basemenT

mechanics

magnetism and electricity

atoms

Youth laboratory

chem -istry

kitchen

The natural history of a lightning flash

superconductivity

1st floor

group Rooms

Temporary exhibition

gases—only a breath, but powerful!

mathemagic

Water, nature, chaos

perception

Ozone hole and greenhouse effect

auditorium

Foyer

exhibiTiOni

› mechanics

› magnetism

› electricity

› Youth laboratory

› Toy Trains (basement)

shOWsi

› The natural history of a

lightning flash

› superconductivity

› coriolis-carousel

exhibiTiOni

› perception

› mathemagic

› Water, nature, chaos

› Temporary exhibitions

shOWsi

› gases—only a breath,

but powerful!

› Ozone hole and

greenhouse effect

Toy Trains

arena

coriolis-carousel

Zürich

WinterthurTöss

Schaffhausen

WinterthurWülflingenBasel

TECHNORAMA

FrauenfeldSt. Gallen

Turbenthal

ElggAadorf

WinterthurOhringen

SBB Main StationWinterthur

SBB StationOberwinterthur

Junction 72 Oberwinterthur

Bus Station

2nd floor

Auditorium

Foyer

Spatial Imaging

Plasma /AboutFaces

Orbitarium

Seminar Room

Administration

Et Cetera

Arena

Light and Vision

The Sound of Wood

ExhIbITIOnI

› Et Cetera

› Plasma /About Faces

› Spatial Imaging

› The Sound of Wood

› Orbitarium

› Light and Vision

ShOWSI

› Laser-Kiosk

Laser-Kiosk

4

Welcome!

Any questions?Ask any of our friendly staff. You will recognise us by our Technorama uniform and logo. We are always on hand to help!

We invite you to come to enjoy and explore Nature’s

extraordinary phenomena in Technorama. With over

500 exhibits in 6500 sq.m. of exhibition space, Techno-

rama in Winterthur leads the science centers in Europe

in the art of awakening an enthusiasm for science and

technology. We have more than 250 000 visitors yearly—

among them over 60 000 school children—and we are

one of the biggest attractions in Switzerland.

On the following pages you can find out what goes on

in the Swiss National Science Center, and what you

can expect when you get here. But no description,

however detailed, can replace the wonder of your

own personal experience. How can we possibly match

in words what it is like to catch a flash of lightning, or

steer a ball with your thoughts? Or the feeling of really

getting “hands-on” with all of our exhibits (apart from

a very few works of art)? You can only really appreci-

ate this when you experience it for yourself. With this

in mind, we hope you will enjoy reading about Tech-

norama, and the fascinating encounter with natural

phenomena and technology which you will find in

Switzerland’s unique and only science center!

The Technorama Team

5

Guide to ExperimentingIn Technorama, everything is “hands-on”. There are

over 500 exhibits—experiment stations—and you

are allowed, indeed you are encouraged to get to

grips with them, in both senses of the word. Whatever

appeals to you, whatever your interest or inclination,

you’ll find lots to interest you. Whatever your age, sex

or subject background—there really are experiments

for everyone. Experience and enjoy unusual phenom-

ena, and expect a few exciting “Eureka! ” moments.

The exhibition is divided into theme areas, and it’s up

to you to decide where your voyage of discovery will

start. Let your fancy or special interest lead you!

At every experiment station there are easy instruc-

tions for what to do, in four languages, German,

English, French and Italian. Don’t be scared to try

things out—see what happens when you set it in

motion, or whatever else you might be asked to do. If

you want to know more about the topic, there is

always a short information text available.

6

Ground floor

Rope Spinner. This rope loop not

only seems to defy gravity, but also

forms amazingly stable shapes.

Slinky waves. You can use

this wide slinky spring to show transverse and

longitudinal waves and, with a bit of practice,

fascinating standing waves!

7

The marvels of mechanics: when things move, you

can often experience astonishing things. A rope re-

mains suddenly vertical in space, water drops fly in

an arc. Spinning bodies sometimes appear to defy

the force of gravity. Are you playing with the spin-

ning-top, or is it playing games with you?

There are pendulums which sometimes swing in

steady time and then, unpredictably, swing chaoti-

cally. The Harmonograph will draw your personal pen-

dulum pattern on paper—a remarkable and unique

work of art.

Mechanics

Ground floor

TipClimb aboard the Rodeo-Top and play games with angular momentum—this physical concept becomes a whole-body experience.

8

Ground floor

Ferrofluid Hedgehog.

Tiny magnetic particles convert

the oil into a magnetic fluid

which can be attracted by an electromagnet. The interplay of

magnetic and surface tension

forces allow a magnetic field

to be magically visualized.

Earth Magnet. A large magnet

inside this globe models the earth’s

magnetic field, and the steel pins align themselves

like compass needles around

the “magnetic north pole”.

Hovering top. Schoolgirl Mia

and Nobel Laureate Richard Ernst are

both amazed by this apparently weightless top.

9

Fascinating forces suddenly become tangible with

these magnetic exhibits. You might think magnetism

is invisible, but it is as real as light and sound—and

amazingly perceptible. Magnets are stubborn beasts,

repelling and attracting at the same time and tempt-

ing you to have fun with them.

Find out for yourself about electricity—what the

important points are about electric current, and how

to choose the right voltage. From lighting to electric

motors and generators, here you can clarify for your-

self what was previously shrouded in darkness be-

hind the power point!

Magnetism and Electricity

Ground floor

TipPedal the Energy-Bike

to make the radio work and boil a glass of water

with the immersion heater. After this effort,

you will view the energy consumption of house-

hold appliances with new eyes!

10

Ground floor

11

Shows

The Natural History of a Lightning Flash Twice daily, at 11.30 am and 2.30 pm, you can see this

unique and spectacular electrical show, renowned

throughout Europe. When lightning flashes through

the air, with you standing safely in your “Faraday

Cage”, you are thankful that you can rely on the laws

of physics. We hope this is the nearest you ever come

to a bolt of lightning! Duration: about 30 minutes.

Ground floor

Tip After the show, charge

yourself up to half a million volts with the

van de Graaff generator. A hair-raising experience

and a super photo to take home!

12

Ground floor

periodic Table. This display

contains samples of each of the

chemical elements —here you can

see what they are all really like.

infrared camera. This uses invisible

heat radiation (infrared) to make

visible pictures, giving unusual

views and insights —for example,

a non-permanent heat-tattoo!

13

Measure, record, evaluate. You will really turn on to

research in our Youth Laboratory. Here you can look

at individual atoms with a raster tunnelling micro-

scope, or work with high-speed or infrared cameras.

No longer any need to be scared of higher physics,

alpha-particles or photons! A large range of instru-

ments allow you to do exciting investigations in elec-

tricity, sound and human physiology. And in our mini

drop-tower you can see how astronauts do experi-

ments in microgravity.

In the Kitchen Laboratory you can uncover some of

the secrets behind food preparation, and find out

which chemical reactions we make use of daily in the

kitchen. You will wear a lab coat in the Chemistry

Laboratory, equipped to professional standards,

when you are working with acids, gases and flames.

The Cell-Lab has special benches for work in the area

of microbiology and genetics.

Youth Laboratory can be booked for use by school

and other groups for morning sessions. Apart from

that, the laboratory is open for all visitors.

› For the complete Youth Laboratory programme see:

www.technorama.ch

Youth Laboratory

Ground floor

14

Ground floor | basement

Chocolate Workshop. Here you experience the entire process, from cocoa beans to tasting the luscious finished product.

Forensic science workshop. Counterfeit or not? Using actual counterfeit notes, you can find out about the safety features of bank-notes and forensic investigation techniques.

Maerklin exhibit. A century ago, they

were the most wonderful Christ-

mas presents imaginable—

model railway lay-outs will still make

your eyes shine, however young or

old you are!

15

WorkshopsThere are exciting workshops running in the Youth

Laboratory every day. With expert support, you can

be creating your own special perfume, making a lip-

stick, experimenting with microwave cookery or—

a special treat—making your own marshmallows! If

you’ve a sweet-tooth you’ll be queuing up for the

Chocolate Workshop.

There is an extra charge for workshops to cover

running costs. Every month a fresh theme. See our

website for information: www.technorama.ch

The exhibition space in the basement houses the

world’s biggest tinplate model railway collection

(Dr Bommer’s) in the world. Really worth a visit!

Pure nostalgia

Toy Trains

Ground floor | basement

16

1st floor

Mirror drawing. It’s annoyingly

tricky when your eyes give you

contradictory information about

what your hands are doing. But

don’t despair— the brain quickly

learns to adapt.

Stereo hearing. Where was the

tube struck—right or left of center? We can tell from

the times that the sound takes to get to the right

and left ears, even when the

difference is less than a millisecond!

17

True or false? Reality is not always what it seems to be

at first sight. Take a trip through our set of sense expe-

riences and illusions and end up amazed to realise

that your view of the world originates inside your own

head. Here is a wonderful and exciting experience!

Perception

1st floor

TipThis area is probably

the most fun for anyone getting

started in science. Here’s where

sceptics become the biggest fans!

18

1st floor

All triangles are alike.

It seems impos-sible at first to

make the shadow of any triangle fit

the shape of an equilateral triangle,

but with a bit of a struggle you

can manage it.

Brain teasers. These logic and

3-dimensional puzzles really strain

the grey cells, but your patience

will be well rewarded with

increasing success.

Sisyphus iii. This steel ball is steered as though by magic (it’s magnetism really) to trace mathe-matical curves in the sand, pro-ducing patterns which may remind you of a Japanese garden.

19

Success is on the agenda here—even for those who

have always found maths and geometry a closed

book. The experiment stations invite you to have fun

with logic-puzzles, parabolas, hyperbolas, diagrams

and transformations. Forget about proofs—you only

play with them and then the penny drops!

A Work of Art in Action

Sisyphus III, the brainchild of the American artist,

Bruce Shapiro, is a real work of art. A computer con-

trols the path of a steel ball round a sand-covered

disc, and produces fantastic geometrical patterns.

This really is mathematics to meditate by!

MatheMagic

1st floor

TipTravel with the

locomotive along the same side (perhaps?)

of this twisted Moebius strip and

discover something amazing.

20

1st floor

Fiery Tornado. In the real world,

tornados are dangerous and

devastating, but here we can

safely experience this beautiful,

controlled (but still scary), five metre

high fiery tornado.

icy Bodies. The small pieces

of dry ice, looking like tiny comets, evaporate when

they meet the deep-blue

water and then rush about

unpredict ably.

Cloud Rings. Here you can

produce magical vortex rings of

cloud, which rise majestically

to the ceiling.

21

In this sector you can see how waves and whirlwinds

develop and die away, how rivers and currents flow.

You’ll be amazed how cloud rings (ring vortices) are

produced, how giant water drops appear to hover in

the Stroboscope Fountain, and how a massive Fire-

tornado develops.

Water, Nature, Chaos

1st floor

TipIn the Stroboscope

Fountain, can you sweep your finger

between two of the apparently hovering water drops without

getting it wet?

22

2nd floor

Alien Voices. A remarkable tele-phone—it distorts

your voice so that you sound like

an alien from outer space.

LevelHead. This will really test

your spatial ability! Real and virtual

worlds melt into a three-dimensional labyrinth, through

which you must navigate safely.

Flash Shadows. Here you can “freeze” your

movements as shadows on the phosphor wall. Use your imagi-

nation, flexibility and jumping

skill to produce exciting and unu-sual silhouettes.

23

Here are some unusual exhibits which we couldn’t fit

into our other sectors, but didn’t want you to miss.

Try LevelHead—it will really tax your 3-D visualizing

to get through this half real, half virtual labyrinth.

Snap yourself in the Flash Shadow exhibit or create

original pictures in the shadow-mosaics of “Deep

Walls”. The “speak your weight” machine, will com-

ment charmingly on your weight, and your voice in

the British telephone boxes can be distorted comi-

cally or grotesquely. You can also have your walking

style evaluated on the biometric walkway.

Et Cetera

2nd floor

TipPlay “Nine Men’s

Morris” against the computer,

and test yourself against artificial

intelligence.

24

2nd floor

Hologram portrait. This is one of the first green-laser holograms ever made—it’s so real you think you could touch it!

plasma “Light-beetle”.Put your hand into this dish to make the little particles glow as if by magic. It is one of the enchanting pheno-mena from the world of plasma.

Face Landscape. Use this set of light sheets to

produce a contour map of your face.

The worse your grimace, the more

rugged the terrain!

25

In the three-dimensional worlds produced by holo-

grams and real mirror-images, the “objects” in space

are so convincing that you feel sure you can grab

hold of them. A gallery of holograms invites you to

discover this fascinating third dimension.

Spatial Imaging

Until Autumn 2010

About FacesOur faces and the expressions we can produce is

the exciting field of experimentation here.

From autumn 2010

PlasmaA chance to play magical games with the stuff which

stars are made of. More than 99 % of the visible uni-

verse is in the form of plasma. Here are exciting and

aesthetically pleasing experiments with this fourth

state of matter (after solids, liquids and gases).

2nd floor

26

2nd floor

Orbitarium. Here you are as though in an orbiting space-craft, looking down on the most enthralling of the heavenly bodies—our planet earth.

Earth history. A special presen-tation in the Orbitarium: the fascinating history of our home planet, narrated by astrophysicist, Prof. Bruno Deiss.

Sound of wood. What is making the ball clatter

upwards in this wooden construc-

tion—is it levers, wheels or what?

27

OrbitariumIt’s dark in the Orbitarium except for the 1.5m diameter

illuminated globe, which is the object of everyone’s

attention. Press buttons on the surface of this acrylic

glass planet and you can see, among other things, the

speeded up jostling motion of its continents, the

distribution of bushfires and artificial light, or a simu-

lation of world-wide aeroplane movements. You must

not miss this astronaut’s view of the earth!

The French artist, Pierre Andres, works exclusively in

wood, and has created these original and durable

objects. They make a wonderful playground for all

who enjoy things that “go”—you can crank, pedal,

lever and shove them to your heart’s content! They are

complex, fascinating and sometimes deafeningly

loud. Children (not exclusively) really love it!

The Sound of Wood

2nd floor

28

2nd floor

Light island. Endless

possi bilities experimenting

with light.

Spinning with Light.

In the flashing coloured light of the stroboscope,

the spinning and vibrating

threads produce astonishing 3-D

shapes.

29

Nothing is more important in our perception of the

world than light. Its power and beauty make a huge

impression on us. In this sector, you can see light in a

multitude of forms—you can change it, measure it,

catch, interrupt and colour it. You can find out why

the sky is blue, what makes a rainbow, and also play

with light and shadows. There is also a variety of

experiments where you can test the ability and the

limitations of the human eye.

Light and Vision

2nd floor

TipSee the laser demonstrations in the new Laser- Kiosk—every day at 11.00 am and 3.15 pm.

30

Coriolis-Carousel. No need to feel giddy—but unex-pected and astounding things happen on the spinning earth.

Superconductivity. Cooled in liquid nitrogen, super-conducting materi-als show amazing properties— e.g. “frozen in” magnetic fields can make objects hover.

Gas Show. The explosion of the oxygen-hydro-gen mixture is not only deafen-ingly loud; the high speed photo - graph of it is also magically beautiful.

31

There are 15 min to 30 min demos and shows every

day. Current themes are: Electricity—The natural his-

tory of a lightning flash, Gas—only a breath but pow-

erful!, Coriolis-Carousel, Superconductivity, Laser-

Kiosk and the Ozone Hole and Greenhouse Effect.

You can find details and times on our website,

www.technorama.ch or in the leaflet “At a glance”

which you can pick up at the information desk.

All shows are at no extra charge.

Every year there is a new special exhibition on the first

floor. From October 2010, the theme is Human Physio-

logy and Biomechanics. You can find dates and themes

on our website: www.technorama.ch.


Shows and Demonstrations

33

A large park surrounds the Swiss Science Center,

Technorama, where you can play, picnic, barbecue, or

just enjoy the surroundings. There are outdoor exhib-

its and the range of attractions is continually being

expanded. At weekends the “Spielhüsli” (little play-

house) is open for the youngsters, with super vision

always on hand. See our website, www.technorama.ch,

for opening times.

Park and “Spielhüsli”

park. A range of outdoor exhibits invite you to experiment, or just contemplate!

34

picnic Zone. Here is just the

spot for your picnic, with a view

of the Atrium.

Workshop. Working together in one of the lab-based workshops makes a special and memorable birthday treat.

Restaurant. Three different

menus, pasta and salad buffets,

choice of desserts and ice creams—

something for everyone’s taste.

35

Technorama’s large self-service restaurant is on the

ground floor. If you bring your own picnic, you can

enjoy it in the Picnic Zone, with a splendid view of the

“Magic Wave” in the Inner Courtyard.

Restaurant and Picnic

This is always a winner! A party at the Swiss Science

Center Technorama is a marvellous present for

the birthday boy or girl and friends. They can enjoy

a special workshop and all of the Technorama

attractions. A mid-day meal in the restaurant is

also an option.

More information on www.technorama.ch or

telephone 052 244 08 44.

Birthday Parties

36

Auditorium. One of the five spaces which Technorama can offer for business or social functions.

Atrium. Functions in Technorama’s Atrium have the “Magic Wave” to contribute to its enchanting atmosphere.

Technorama Shop. Fascinating experi-

ments, books, attractive objects

as souvenirs and unusual presents.

37

Technorama offers inspiring surroundings for all

such occasions. Auditorium or Conference rooms

are all available for hire. For details of rooms, cater-

ing, social programme, see our website

www.technorama.ch or telephone 052 244 08 44.

Our shop opens at 12 noon and is a real Aladdin’s

Cave for everyone. The range of articles—mainly

related to Technorama’s exhibits—is phenomenal

and amazing. And there is plenty available to suit

all pockets.

Technorama Shop

Your Conferences and Functions

Zürich

WinterthurTöss

Schaffhausen


TECHNORAMA


Turbenthal

ElggAadorf

WinterthurOhringen




Bus Station

How to get to the TechnoramaTechnorama is easy to reach,

either by public transport or by car.

Public Transport

S-Bahn trains S8, S12 or S29 to the

Ober winterthur Station. From

Oberwinterthur Station, about

10 minutes on foot. Or else from

Winterthur Main Station take the

town bus no.5 to the Technorama

stop. Check for special offers from

SBB RailAway: www.railaway.ch.

by car

Leave the highway A1 at junction

72, Oberwinterthur, direct to

Technorama. Ample free parking

next to building.

38

ground floor

Restaurant self-service

atrium

enTRance

paRk

shop

cloakroom

Ticket desk

basemenT

mechanics

magnetism and electricity

atoms

Youth laboratory

chem -istry

kitchen

The natural history of a lightning flash

superconductivity

1st floor

group Rooms

Temporary exhibition

gases—only a breath, but powerful!

mathemagic

Water, nature, chaos

perception

Ozone hole and greenhouse effect

auditorium

Foyer

exhibiTiOni

› mechanics

› magnetism

› electricity

› Youth laboratory

› Toy Trains (basement)

shOWsi

› The natural history of a

lightning flash

› superconductivity

› coriolis-carousel

exhibiTiOni

› perception

› mathemagic

› Water, nature, chaos

› Temporary exhibitions

shOWsi

› gases—only a breath,

but powerful!

› Ozone hole and

greenhouse effect

Toy Trains

arena

coriolis-carousel

Zürich

WinterthurTöss

Schaffhausen


TECHNORAMA


Turbenthal

ElggAadorf

WinterthurOhringen




Bus Station

Opening Times

exhibiTiOn

Tuesday to sunday

10.00 am to 5.00 pm

Closed Mondays and 25th December.

Open public holidays (including Mondays).

ResTauRanT

self-service restaurant open

9.00 am to 6.00 pm

www.technorama.ch

The entire exhibition is accessible to

wheelchair users.

© S

wis

s Sc

ien

ce C

ente

r Te

chn

ora

ma

, PD

F 11

/ 20

11

swiss science Center Technorama

Technoramastrasse 1 CH-8404 WinterthurT +41 (0)52 244 08 44 F +41 (0)52 244 08 45

[email protected] www.technorama.ch

Your Visit

Contents

4 Welcome!

5 Guide to Experimenting

Ground floor

7 Mechanics

9 Magnetism and Electricity

11 The Natural History of a

Lightning Flash

13 Youth Laboratory

15 Workshops

Toy Trains (basement)

First floor

17 Perception

19 MatheMagic

21 Water, Nature, Chaos

Second floor

23 Et Cetera

25 Spatial Imaging

About Faces

Plasma

27 Orbitarium

The Sound of Wood

29 Light and Vision

31 Shows and

Demonstrations


33 Park and “Spielhüsli”

35 Restaurant and Picnic

Birthday Parties

37 Your Conferences

and Functions

Technorama Shop

38 How to get to

the Technorama

technorama hausprospekt en

Documents

technorama team

technorama uniform

experimentingin technorama

flash of lightning

ground floor slinky

functions technorama

natural history

natural phenomena